ExRx.net

I'm in. At first I was just going to forgo it for another year, but why not. I'll just incorporate the pullups into my current workout routine. I'm currently 5' 10", 173lbs (hence leanmuscle) my max number of pullups is 8-10 then the numbers decrease as the sets increase! :) I don't have a plan to follow any type of ladder or schemes to increase my pullups, just hitting the bar and pulling. Let's get it!!

How about isometrics, like how much time you can stay up (using both hands, or one hand only if you're strong enough)?

I always try to improve my pull-ups record, but it is a very slow process for me and I doubt I will break it in February.

Aw, be a sport! It will be fun. We can even have an Old Fart's Division.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

Ill jump in on this - I can currently do 8 chins @ 200lbs - so I guess hitting nine would be a 10% increase, but I think I am pretty close to 9 as is, so Ill go for 10 total

OK, what the heck. I'm currently at 9 pull-ups and 10 chin-ups - well, almost, since the last "up" is not really all the way - so my goal is to add 1 to each. I guess I can work on my technique, I have this idea that if I curl my legs when I'm down and then kick hard downward when I'm at the hardest point on the way up (which is right towards the end, when the top of the head is at the bar height) it should help me complete the last pull at least, but that would be kind of cheating, wouldn't it? Anyway, It's not as easy to perform as I thought when I first had that idea, so I'm not sure yet if it will really work, but the physics seem sound enough for me to keep on trying. We'll see.

Josh, what you're describing sounds like kipping. It would be cheating if your goal is to do strict pullups but it's used a lot in Crossfit in order to make it more of a full body exercise.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

Never heard of it, but now I see the bastards really stole my idea, even though I was thinking only about the last part of the pull while that kipping thing is changing the whole process. Anyway, I tried my version again yesterday and still couldn't kick down as planned, so either it's a bad idea or I may be too clumsy for that. Oh, well, I guess there is nothing wrong with just plain pullups.

Yeah man, just do plain pullups. Although I know how to kip, I don't do it because I've always felt that it was cheating.

Kipping pullups are not "cheating" if you set out to do kipping pullups. If you do kipping pullups and then tell people or even imply that they are just pullups, THAT'S cheating.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

Hmm, I'm pretty sure my max is 12 but I bet I didn't max extend them all (but diminish quickly - 12/8/6/6/4-6 [1.5 min rest ala GVT])

I'll test the extension again next Thursday on back day (and I'll do em before deads!)

I think 15 (or +3 pending my test) would be fantastic, and since I am cutting my weight/fat back feb>may this should enable me to do so, if I wasn't cutting I think +2 would be more reasonable but I'll go for a difficult one..

Short version: 12>15 count me in :)

OK, so I hit ten last night, so I am upping my goal for February to 12 :)

I did 8 reps today. That will be the mark from which to improve.
The style was supinated grip, and the ROM was from near full-extension to chin past the bar.

At the end of February I'll pull atleast 10.

My battle plan is to bring chin-ups/back training to every workout.
Workout A will have pronated grip chins/pull-ups.
Workout B will have progressing weight added to reps. Mainly singles, doubles and triples for a lot of sets.
Workout C will have Barbell Rows, not yet sure if I should bring chins to assist the rows. Maybe.

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Prove the impossible!

I can currently do 1-2 body weight chin-ups. My goal is 5.

I picked up a band from elitefts.com, and started a 5x5 for chins. Did 3x3x3x4x3 with the LIGHT band doubled around one knee. Felt really good and different from the assisted machine. Helped at the bottom, the part that's not the problem, and doesn't at the top. So I still really have to work. My plan is to hit 5x5x5x5x5 with the band doubled, then single it up and by then probably have to stand on it since it will be stretched out. Do that till I can hit 5x5x5x5x5 and then try without. Do as many as I can do bw, then add the band to complete the 5x5x5x5x5 until I can do it all without. That's my goal for this year.

btw, I'm at a bw of 325lbs.

I meant it only in the context of the current challenge, and anyway I am not talking about that kipping thing but about a less drastic change to the technique, namely bringing the knees up (slowly) when pulling and then kicking down towards the end of the pool. Never mind, it's not really important.

Since I do a A-B program (3 times a week), I already had pullups as part of the B part (I do 9/6/5 or as many as I can) and for the challenge I added 1 set of 10 chinups to my A days. Too soon to know if it's having any effect, but I have a feeling I might succeed in breaking this 10 reps record. I am a little less optimistic about the 9 pullups. In four weeks I'll know.

OK, the time is at hand! Get your post in as to your participation and goal. I'll compile and post the list either this evening or tomorrow.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan